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According to Gianluca Di Marzio on Sky Sports News, as per Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre (January 23, 9:08pm), Everton have made Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg their top January midfield target, and one statistic in particular would make him an instant Goodison Park hero.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Di Marzio said on Sky Sports News that the Denmark international is the Merseyside outfit’s priority central midfield signing this month.

Sky Sports had reported earlier this month that Everton were keen to sign a new centre-back and central midfielder during the current window, and it appears as though the Saints captain is top of their list.

However, Di Marzio added that the Toffees aren’t keen to pay the former Bayern Munich man’s reported £35m price tag.

One stat in particular stands out

Well, prior to the previous two rounds of Premier League fixtures, The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas reported that Hojbjerg had recovered possession 218 times in the English top flight this season, with West Ham United’s Declan Rice next up on 184, Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi on 170 and Chelsea’s Jorginho on 165.

Of course those numbers will have changed now, but there is no doubt that is an outstanding tally from the Dane.

Indeed, WhoScored tweeted following the club’s victory against Norwich City in December that the 24-year-old had won possession in the midfield third 18 times, which was a record in a Premier League match since they started recording data in the 2009/10 campaign.

There is no doubt that in the absence of the injured Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin in recent months, central midfield areas have been a big problem for the Toffees, with Gylfi Sigurdsson and Morgan Schneiderlin flopping in the Merseyside Derby earlier this month, as shown by their low match ratings from The Liverpool Echo.

They haven’t really had that player willing to get stuck in and win the ball back like they did last season when Idrissa Gueye averaged 4.3 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per game in the top flight, as per WhoScored.

Call yourself an Everton expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

This term, the central midfield leaders in those two statistics for players that have featured in 10 Premier League matches or more are Schneiderlin (2) and Tom Davies (1.4) respectively.

Meanwhile, Hojbjerg has 2.5 tackles and 1.5 interceptions showing he would be an improvement in that regard, but it is his success at recovering possession that would help to lift a Goodison Park crowd who have endured a frustrating season – as shown by the late collapse against Newcastle United in midweek.

In other Everton news, a Brazilian journalist has offered a fresh update on the club’s pursuit of Gremio winger Everton Soares…

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According to a recent report from Sky Sports, Paris Saint Germain are interested in signing Idrissa Gueye in the January transfer window. However, Everton fans on Twitter have been laughing off the rumours.

The 29-year-old has become a key figure at Goodison Park, and his absence through injury in recent weeks has highlighted just how important he is to Marco Silva’s side. With Gueye out of the side, Everton have now lost 3-1 to Manchester City at the Etihad and 6-2 at home to Tottenham.

Gueye provides that protection in front of the back four that every team needs, no matter how good the football they play when in possession.

A Senegalese international, he is one of the best in the business at breaking up play and making crucial tackles, so letting him go would be a serious error if the club have ambitions to break into the top six.

Clearly, Everton fans on Twitter don’t believe the hierarchy will accept an offer though and they have been joking about the rumoured interest from the French champions. Check out the best tweets below.

FootballFanCast.com’s Performance in Numbers coverage is brought to you by 5p0rtz. Try 5p0rtz’s Beat the Streak Predictor and you could win £1million! Click here to play.

West Ham made it seven points from their last three matches with a momentous win over Manchester United on Saturday, and the performance of Fabian Balbuena showed the Hammers got their transfer business spot on this summer.

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When West Ham managed to sign Manuel Pellegrini this summer, everyone knew that despite all his success, it was simply not enough.

The arrival of Mario Husillos as the new director of football was perhaps even more important, and the pair’s work in the transfer market is finally passing inspection.

After a difficult start to the season, the likes of Felipe Anderson, Issa Diop and Andriy Yarmolenko are starting to shine, but the bargain capture of Balbuena might be the best of the lot.

What the Hammers were really missing at the back last year was a commanding leader, and signing the man that Corinthians fans referred to as “the General” is certainly a good way to go about fixing that.

The 27 year-old cost the Hammers just £4m, and his budding relationship with Diop is extremely promising.

The pair made a whopping 15 clearances against the Red Devils, and Balbuena was responsible for ten of those.

He also won three aerial duels, three tackles and made two smart interceptions, in one of the most dominant centre half performances the London Stadium has seen.

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Of course, playing for Pellegrini isn’t all about defending though, and the 6 ft 2 in Paraguay international completed 87 per cent of his passes, while Diop completed an incredible 96 per cent.

Balbuena wasn’t the most glamorous signing of the summer, but if he keeps improving at the rate he is while helping Diop develop alongside him, he might just this season’s biggest bargain.

So, West Ham fans, how impressed were you by Balbuena on Saturday? Will he and Diop forge a long-term partnership? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Manchester United fans are absolutely crucifying Phil Jones, after the England defender struggled massively in Saturday’s clash with Belgium.

Jose Mourinho has some work to do this summer if he wants to catch Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, and the first priority has surely got to be in the heart of defence.

While fans are desperate for the signing of Alex Sandro to take over at left back, the Red Devils are uncharacteristically weak in the middle, where neither of Jones or Chris Smalling have ever lived up their billing.

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Jones is taking loads of flak for his performance against Belgium on Saturday, as the 26 year-old was all over the place on several occasions.

Eden Hazard slipped in behind him to grab Belgium’s second goal in the 2-0 win, and the 6 ft defender’s positioning was just really poor throughout the match.

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Fans will be hoping Eric Bailly can stay fit and Victor Lindelof can continue his impressive World Cup form, but if not they may be stuck with Jones yet again.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, look away now Phil…

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will stay at Borussia Dortmund, despite being linked with a move to Chelsea, according to the London Evening Standard.

What’s the word?

After Everton striker Romelu Lukaku opted to join Manchester United rather than return to Chelsea, a flurry of high-profile forwards were linked to the Premier League champions.

Aubameyang was one of them, particularly as Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke publicly told reporters that the club would listen to offers.

The Gabon international, who scored 31 Bundesliga goals last season, was initially thought to be on his way to Paris Saint-Germain, but according to Bild, the French giants scrapped the deal last month.

Now, the London Evening Standard claims that Aubameyang will remain at Dortmund, and Chelsea did not table a bid in the first place.

Are the Blues running out of options?

The Premier League season gets underway in less than a month, and Chelsea are yet to bring in a new striker, while Diego Costa’s future at the club remains uncertain.

It would have been a blow for the Blues to miss out on Lukaku, and now that Aubameyang is seemingly no longer a serious target, chances of nabbing a top talent are slimming.

Torino striker Andrea Belotti has been touted as a possible option, as well as Real Madrid forward Alvaro Moratta, but both have also been linked to AC Milan.

La Gazetta dello Sport went as far as to say this week that Morata is open to moving to the San Siro if a deal can be agreed with Madrid.

Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez and Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero could be possible options.

However, a number of elite clubs are believed to be sniffing around Sanchez, and according to The Independent, City have no desire to sell Aguero.

Chelsea need to make sure that they do not end up in a position where they have to panic buy and risk spending an expensive fee on a flop.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is only willing to sell goalkeeper Asmir Begovic to Bournemouth if he can find a replacement, according to The Telegraph.

What’s the latest?

Bregovic has struggled for game time at Chelsea, featuring just four times between the sticks, and those outings were in the FA Cup and EFL Cup.

The Bosnian has not made a single appearance in the Premier League this season due to Thibaut Courtois continuing as first choice.

Bournemouth swooped in with a £10m bid, but the Blues have knocked back their offer, reports The Telegraph.

The publication also states that Conte wants to make sure that a replacement is agreed before Begovic leaves, but with just seven days left in the window, it could be tricky to get a deal over the line.

Eduardo is currently the third-choice keeper, but Conte reportedly does not want to risk not having an experienced shot-stopper as backup in the event that Courtois gets injured.

If the club fail to land a replacement, Bournemouth may have to wait until the summer to get their man.

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Who could Chelsea move for?

In some cases it is difficult to bring in a second-choice keeper, mainly because most footballers want to grab the number one spot.

With Courtois at the helm, though, most targets will have to settle for a regular spot on the bench.

According to The Telegraph, Chelsea were interested in AC Milan’s Diego Lopez last summer, but they could struggle to sign him this month as he is currently first choice on a season-long loan at Espanyol.

Tim Krul, who is on loan at Ajax from Newcastle United, is also an option, reports the Guardian.

The 28-year-old Dutchman has plenty of Premier League experience, which would be vital if he is thrown into the fold at short notice.

However, he might be looking for more first-team action given that he has not yet made a single competitive appearance on loan.

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Another Remembrance Weekend and the return of something else in Premier League football we never forget. The annual issue of James McClean refusing to wear a poppy. The story hasn’t changed since his days at Wigan or Sunderland and they continue now he’s in West Bromwich Albion’s colours. It makes him the target for the boo boys but does he have a point?

It’s uncomfortable when football and politics clash. Most of the time players skirt certain contentious areas or are protected by their clubs. Even potentially awkward PR moments get given a little bit of spin by media departments.

It’s impossible to do this when passions are running high. In the United Kingdom it’s rare for the Armed Forces to be openly praised like they are in countries such as America. Being patriotic on these shores is a sure fire way to open up oneself for accusations, so more often than not the good work of the Forces goes without praise.

Remembrance Sunday, and the weeks surrounding it, is the one time of year that bucks the trend. Most people wear their poppy with a pride not reserved for anything else. They pay thanks to servicemen and women that gave their lives to ensure our freedom.

For most of the public the greatest emphasis in this thanks is reserved for those that fell in the two world wars. To see someone openly go against this creates instant anger. The knee jerk reaction is that James McClean is ungrateful, that he is dishonouring all those that died to afford him the luxury of playing Premier League football today.

The problem is, James McClean has said, if the poppy only represented World War One and Two, he’d happily wear it. The small print that comes with a poppy is that it is for all British personnel from every conflict. He’s sees it as representing the British soldiers that shot 26 unarmed civilians in the Bloody Sunday Massacre.

The incident took place in Derry, where McClean grew up. How many of us would wear a symbol, that while represented the best of intentions, reminded you of a such an act?

He’s right to stand by his principles. One thing about in society worth fighting for is freedom of expression. Since the Saville report into the incident British Prime Minister David Cameron has made a formal apology on behalf of the entire United Kingdom, further justification for McClean to oppose the concept of supporting every conflict.

His attempt to stand by his beliefs has brought a certain level of naïvety into his actions. People will always make the connection to the two World Wars. To ignore the poppy will always draw their fire. A simple statement that he’s thankful for that sacrifice but not others dilutes his gesture.

Also, now that the British Prime Minister has made a full and frank apology, the admission alone removes the Sunday Massacre from being representative of the Armed Forces. It was an isolated incident within The Troubles that haunted Northern Ireland for years. If his issue is with the perceived UK occupation there, he is right not to outwardly say, doing so would open up a political can of worms never seen before in football.

Wearing the poppy would not be giving justification to the British that performed the massacre in Derry, it would be acknowledging the human loss that has enabled us to live in a free world.

It’s easy to understand why people will always boo James McClean, but he’s not coming from a place of ignorance.

The Three Lions boss is making a rod for his own back with a contradictory selection policy that is shafting on-form players

England have already qualified for Euro 2024. All the Three Lions need to do in facile fixtures against Malta and North Macedonia is ensure that they will be one of the top seeds in next month's finals draw in Germany.

Fair to say, then, that this could have been a relatively boring international break for England fans – had Gareth Southgate not once again inexplicably overlooked Raheem Sterling, with Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Jarrod Bowen the chosen widemen.

The absence of the Chelsea winger from a fifth consecutive squad hasn't just caused controversy; it's provoked all sorts of speculation surrounding Sterling and Southgate.

Getty'Something has definitely happened'

Both Alan Shearer and Michah Richards are convinced that "something has definitely happened" behind the scenes that we don't yet know about, while Rio Ferdinand has even issued a public plea to "free Raheem Sterling!"

"I don't know what he's done, whose nose he's put out of joint," the former Manchester United defender said on the podcast. "Was it him coming back from the tournament or something like that?"

Ferdinand was obviously alluding to the fact that Sterling briefly returned to England during last year's World Cup because of a burglary at his family home – and that kind of conjecture does a great disservice to Southgate, who was very supporting of the attacker at the time. However, while such talk is unhelpful, and potentially harmful, it's also inevitable in the circumstances, given Southgate's Sterling snub makes zero sense.

AdvertisementGettyOut of favour

There's absolutely no denying that Sterling made a somewhat subdued start to his Chelsea career, after his high-profile move from Manchester City in the summer of 2022, but he still travelled to Qatar as a trusted member of Southgate's line-up, only to lose his starting spot by the time England were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

Injury ruled him out of the start of the start of the qualification campaign for the Euros, in March, but it was nonetheless a surprise to see him overlooked for the June clashes with Malta and North Macedonia.

Sterling may have endured a difficult debut season at Stamford Bridge, but Southgate has become renowned for picking players performing poorly at club level simply because they have served him well in the past.

GettyOne rule for one…

Harry Maguire continued to be called up even while spending most of his time on the bench at Old Trafford, Jordan Henderson is still in the squad even though he's now struggling in Saudi Arabia, while it's a complete farce that Kalvin Phillips has held onto his place given he's barely got a run-out for Manchester City in the past two years.

Phillips undeniably played a key role in England's run to the final of Euro 2020 – but why hasn't Sterling benefited from the same level of loyalty given he was arguably his country's best player at the tournament?

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GettyDon't change a winning team?

Southgate has argued that the "landscape" has changed; that the competition for places, particularly in attack, is now fiercer than ever before. However, when asked to explain why Sterling had been omitted from the England squad for the October internationals, he pointed out that the likes of Ollie Watkins and Jarrod Bowen were "both in a hot streak of form". "That's the thinking," the manager explained.

But this time around, he effectively admitted that he was reluctant to change a winning team. "I can only repeat what I've said in the last few squad selection meetings," he said. "The team is playing really well. It's as simple as that, really.

"[Raheem] wasn't available in March or June and the team started on a good run. We won in Italy for the first time in 60 years, while the two performances in June were excellent, so we stuck with that group."

How to watch Leicester against Wolves in the Premier League in the USA, as well as the kick-off time and team news.

Embroiled in the fight against against the drop, Leicester City will be looking to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat when they welcome an in-form Wolves side to the King Power Stadium in Saturday's Premier League encounter.

10 games without a league win in all competitions, Dean Smith is charged to lift the Foxes from the clutches of relegation but the Englishman's first game in charge ended in a 3-1 loss at Manchester City last weekend.

Whereas, following wins over Chelsea and Brentford over the last two weekends, the visitors are eyeing to register a hat-trick of wins in the domestic circuit for the first time since January 2022.

GOAL brings you details on how to watch the game on TV in the USA, as well as how to stream the match live online.

GettyKick-off timeGame:Leicester City vs Wolverhampton WanderersDate:April 22, 2023Kick-off:10am EDTVenue:King Power Stadium

The Premier League game between Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers is scheduled for April 22, 2023, at the King Power Stadium in Leicester, in the East Midlands of England. It will kick off at 10am EDT in the USA.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesHow to watch Leicester City vs Wolves online – TV channels & live streamsTV channels & streaming options

Country TV channel Live stream

U.S.N/APeacock Premium

In the United States (US), the game can be watched live on Peacock Premium.

Getty ImagesTeam news & squadsLeicester City team news

With the likes of Ricardo Pereira, James Justin, Ryan Bertrand and Jannik Vestergaard sidelined with injuries, Harvey Barnes and Jonny Evans would remain doubts after missing the City loss due to a hamstring problem and illess, respectively.

Smith may revert to a four-man backline here, meaning one of Caglar Soyuncu or Harry Souttar will start on the bench, handing Jamie Vardy a go in attack ahead of Kelechi Iheanacho and Patson Daka.

Leicester City possible XI: Iversen; Castagne, Souttar, Faes, Kristiansen; Dewsbury-Hall, Ndidi, Tielemans; Tete, Vardy, Maddison

Position Players

GoalkeepersWard, Iversen, SmithiesDefendersSoyuncu, Faes, Amartey, Souttar, Evans, Thomas, Kristiansen, CastagneMidfieldersNdidi, Soumare, Mendy, Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall, Praet, Maddison, Barnes, TeteForwardsDaka, Iheanacho, VardyWolves team news

Sasa Kalajdzic and Chiquinho are the club's long-term absentees, while Diego Costa is expected to shake off a knock to his knee in the Brentford win.

Jonny and Ruben Neves are back from suspensions, but may not have a place in the XI against Leicester.

Wolves possible XI: Sa; Semedo, Kilman, Dawson, Toti; Lemina, Gomes, Nunes; Cunha, Costa, Sarabia

Position Players

GoalkeepersSa, Bentley, MouldenDefendersCollins, Kilman, Dawson, Toti, Ait-Nouri, Jonny, Bueno, SemedoMidfieldersRuben Neves, Lemina, B. Traore, Hodge, Nunes, Gomes, Moutinho, Podence, SarabiaForwardsNeto, Cunha, Jimenez, Hwang, Costa, A. TraoreHead-to-head record

Date Result Competition

October 23, 2022Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-4 Leicester CityPremier LeagueFebruary 20, 2022Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Leicester CityPremier LeagueAugust 14, 2021Leicester City 1-0 Wolverhampton WanderersPremier LeagueFebruary 7, 2021Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-0 Leicester CityPremier LeagueNovember 8, 2020Leicester City 1-0 Wolverhampton WanderersPremier LeagueENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Europe's premier club competition enters the quarter-final stage, with eight teams still vying it out to make it to Istanbul this summer

With club football having returned with a bang following the international break, the stage is set for the final stages of this season's Champions League.

After some thrilling last-16 ties, eight teams remain in the hunt for Europe's premier club competition.

So which teams are now shaping up as potential favourites to win the whole tournament, and who is unlikely to make it past the quarter-finals?

Goal power ranks the teams left in this season's competition…

Getty Images8Porto

They may have caused the shock of the last 16 by knocking out Juventus, but Porto remain huge outsiders to go all the way in this season's competition.

Sergio Conceicao's side are on a four-match winning run in Liga NOS, but with key players suspended for Tuesday's first leg against Chelsea, they face an uphill battle to take down Thomas Tuchel's team in the quarter-finals.

AdvertisementGetty7Borussia Dortmund

Following Saturday's defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt, Dortmund's best route into next season's Champions League now looks to be going all the way this time around.

Drawing Manchester City in the quarter-finals, then, is not what the Bundesliga outfit would have wanted, and Erling Haaland will likely have to play out of his skin if a BVB team with just one win from their last five are to stun Pep Guardiola's side over the course of the next 10 days.

Getty6Liverpool

Are Liverpool back? Probably not all the way, but the signs are that Jurgen Klopp's side are starting to find some self-belief following a disastrous start to 2021.

The Reds' last-16 win over RB Leipzig provided some respite and those wins, coupled with recent victories over Wolves and Arsenal, mean the Premier League champions go into their tie against Real Madrid confident of gaining revenge for their 2018 final defeat.

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Getty5Paris Saint-Germain

After seeing off Barcelona in the last-16, PSG would have been forgiven for believing that they were well placed to go one better than their finish as runners-up in 2020.

However, the draw was not kind to Mauricio Pochettino's side, with a quarter-final against Bayern Munich potentially set to be followed by a meeting with Manchester City should they reach the final four.

Saturday's loss to Lille suggested all is not well at Parc des Princes, and though they will not have to worry about Robert Lewandowski against Bayern, the defending European champions still have plenty of weapons that can hurt their French opposition.